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If you've recently decided to adopt the vegan lifestyle, one of your central concerns may be how to get enough protein in your diet. To be sure, the question you're most likely to hear from non-vegans is how you get your protein. This concern is actually rather unfounded, as it is quite simple to fulfill all of your body's protein needs through a strictly plant-based diet. This can even be done without crutching too heavily on plants that provide complete proteins like quinoa and soy. Learning how to get enough protein as a vegan simply requires a little knowledge about how to combine plant-based proteins.

Familiarize yourself with the essential amino acids. All proteins - from both plant and animal sources - are made from the same 22 amino acids, only 9 of which your body cannot synthesize on its own. These 9 amino acids are called "essential," and they are present in every plant-based food. However, most plants contain very low amounts of 1 or more amino acid, so this deficiency must be compensated by eating other foods that contain this amino acid, or by simply eating more of the first food.

Determine the ideal amount of protein in your diet. The calories taken in from protein should account for roughly 20 percent of your total caloric intake. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends a daily intake of 59 grams of protein for men and 46 grams for women. This protein will have to come from plant sources exclusively within a vegan diet.

Consume complete proteins by eating complementary plant-based foods. The 2 major groups of protein-rich plant foods are legumes on 1 hand, and grains, nuts, and seeds on the other. Each of these groups is rich in the amino acids that are deficient in the other, so together they provide a balanced amino acid profile - a "complete" protein. Strive to combine grains, nuts, and seeds with different types of legumes over the course of your day.

Note that these complementary foods do not have to be consumed in the same sitting or even in the same day. Although this was the prevailing conception of complementary proteins for a long time, it is now known that your body can store different amino acids for days until they can be metabolized along with their complements.

Some examples of food pairings that will build complementary proteins include stir-fried soybeans over rice, hummus and pita bread, and corn and beans.

Introduce plant foods with high amounts of all 9 essential amino acids. There are 2 popular plant-based foods that provide complete proteins by themselves: soy and quinoa. Each of these foods is incredibly versatile within a vegan diet. Quinoa can be used in place of rice, oats, or pearled barley in many recipes (although it is not a cereal grain, but rather the seed of a broadleaf plant).

Vary your diet as much as possible. Because complete proteins are not required in a single setting, the best way to get enough protein as a vegan is to eat a varied diet. Introduce different types of foods into your diet every day, such as leafy greens, grains, lentils and beans, nuts, tubers, fruits, and vegetables. Some vegetables, such as avocado and potato, contain a large amount of protein.

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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 28,887 times.